Improvement in clasps for skirt-hoops



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

TI-IOS. B. DE FOREST, OF BIRMINGHAM, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PRESS AND CLASP COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLASPS FOR SKIRT-HOOPS.

Specification forming,` part of Letters Patent N0. 58,540, dated October 2, 1566.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. DE FOREST, of Birmingham, in the county ot' New Haven and State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in ClaspingHoops ot'Skirts; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying' drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawing constitutes part otl this specification, and represents an edge view of the two ends of a hoop clasped in accordance with my improvement.

The object ot" my invention is to materially reduce the weight ot' the skirt by an improved device for securing the two ends of the hoops together; and it consists in lapping the two ends so as to be secured by two short clasps, leaving` a short space between the two clasps, and in this space forming` an indentation of the two parts, so that the one cannot be drawn from the other while the clasps remain on the wire.

And that others may be enabled to use my improvement, I -will proceed to describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

A B are thel two ends of a single hoop overlapping each other, as from a to b. At the end of each part I attach a short clasp, d, in the usual manner, leaving` a space, c, bet- Ween the two clasps, as denoted in the drawing. Vhen securely clasped I place the hoop between dies prepared for the purpose, and bend or indent the two parts out of the right line, as denoted in the drawing. This indentation prevents the one part from bein g drawn from or forced onto the other so long as the clasps securely hold.

If preferred, the indentation may be made in each of the two ends before being clasped.

I am aware that an indentation has been used for securing hoops 5 but the clasp used has been a long clasp, and the `indentation made upon the clasp and hoop. Therefore by my improvement so much of the meta-l of the clasp as would ll the space c is dispensed with, making a saving` both in weight and in cost.

I do not therefore broadly claim forming an indentation for the purpose of better securing the hoop, but,

Having fully described my invention, what I (lo-claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by. Letters Patent, is-

The two clasps el d, in combination-with the indentation c, so as to secure the two ends ot' the hoop, substantially in the manner herein Set forth.

THOS. B. DE FOREST. Witnesses:

R. M. BAssETT, JOHN S. PEssINeE. 

